Philodryas laticeps Werner, 1900

Scrocchi, Hussam Zaher Gustavo & Masiero, Roberta, 2008, Rediscovery and redescription of the type of Philodryas laticeps Werner, 1900 and the taxonomic status of P. oligolepis Gomes, 1921 (Serpentes, Colubridae), Zootaxa 1940, pp. 25-40 : 32-38

Philodryas laticeps Werner, 1900

( Fig. 2)

1900. Philodryas laticeps Werner. Beschreibung einiger noch unbekannter neotropischer und indischer Reptilien. Zool. Anz., 23: 196–198.

1928. Philodryas affinis Müller. Herpetologische Mitteilungen. Zool. Anz. , 78: 61–84. Holotype: ZSM 8 /1928 ( Zoologische Staatssammlung München ), an adult male from Buena Vista (80 km northwest from Santa Cruz de la Sierra), Bolivia, donated in 1926 by Carlos Marie and presently lost.

1921. Philodryas oligolepis Gomes. In : Amaral, A. Ultimos trabalhos ineditos de J. Florencio Gomes: Duas novas especies de Colubrideos opisthoglyphos brasileiros ( Philodryas oligolepis e Apostolepis longicauda ). Annaes Paulistas de Medicina e Cirurgia 12 (7–8): 110–113. Holotype: MZUSP 1389 (Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil; formerly Collecção do Museu Paulista), an adult male from Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brasil, collected in 1898 by J. B. de Godoy.

1977. Philodryas oligolepis, Amaral. Serpentes do Brasil. Iconografia colorida. Edições Melhoramentos and Editora da Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil. 246 pp.

Holotype: ZMB 15704 (Berlin Museum für Naturkunde), an adult female from Santa Catarina, Brazil, procured by Ferdinand Weichberger ( Fig. 2).

Diagnosis: Philodryas laticeps differs from all other species in the genus by the following combination of characters: head, body, and tail uniformly green, except for the gular region and anteriormost ventrals which are white; mucosa surrounding the larynx and trachea in the floor of the mouth covered with black pigmentation; lack of well-defined longitudinal rows of large and shallow body calyces on the distal half of the asulcate surface of the hemipenial body; lateral enlarged spines reduced to middle sized spines; distal rows of middle sized spines disposed in a typical “V-shaped” configuration on the asulcate surface of the hemipenial body; diameter of the central portion of the hemipenis larger than both proximal and distal extremities; dorsal scale rows reducing anteroposteriorly from 19–17 to 13–11; high number of ventral scales (204 to 218); ventrals angulated laterally.

Re-description of the holotype: When our observations differ from the original description (Werner, 1900), the latter is indicated in square brackets. The specimen is an adult female of 1045 mm [1060] total length, 301 mm [295] tail length (28.8% of total length); head length 27 mm (2.6% of total length); head width 19 mm at broadest point. Head distinct from neck. Dorsal scales smooth, in 17-17-12 rows (see Table 2 for more details), with two apical pits. There are two preventrals (sensu Dowling, 1951), 204 ventrals, a divided anal scale, and 116 [117] paired subcaudals. Ventrals are angulated laterally.

Rostral scale 1.1 times higher than wide, visible from above; paired subequal internasals; paired prefrontals 1.2 times wider than long, in contact with each other and with frontal, supraocular, upper preocular, loreal, nasal, and internasal; frontal sub-pentagonal nearly as wide as long; supraoculars longer than wide; parietals 1.7 times longer than wide; nasal divided above and below naris, in contact with the first and second supralabials; loreal nearly as wide as long; two preoculars, the upper one nearly twice as large as the lower preocular, while the left preoculars are completely separated, the right ones are only partially divided; three postoculars, the lower one being the smallest one, while the upper two are of equal size; one large anterior temporal and one slightly smaller posterior temporal; eight supralabial scales, with second and third bordering the loreal, and fourth and fifth bordering the orbit; mental scale triangular; 11 infralabial scales on the left side and 12 on the right, the first to fifth contacting the anterior genial; anterior and posterior genials paired, the former being wider and shorter than the latter genials.

Coloration of the holotype: According to Werner (1900), the color pattern of the holotype is uniformly “grass” green dorsally (including supralabials) and whitish green on the ventral scales, turning “grass” green on subcaudals. Our observations on the holotype confirm that the ventral (gular) region of the head and anterior third of the belly are white, turning progressively into light green on the posterior two-third of the belly. The dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head and dorsum are uniformly dark green.

Intraspecific variation: Five adult specimens of Philodryas laticeps in addition to the holotype were available for study ( MZUSP 1389 , IBH 73141, 7600 , FMNH 168003 , ZMB 69958; ZSM 8 /1928 not included in the analysis) ( Table 3). All specimens are similar in color pattern to the holotype. Largest specimen a male ( IBH 73141) 1165 mm TTL, 314 mm TAL; largest female 1055 mm TTL, 293 mm TAL. Tail with 27–29% of TTL, slightly longer in females (28–29% of TTL; N=2) than in males (27%; N=3). Head distinct from neck, body slightly laterally compressed, ventrals laterally angulated. Ventral counts 204–218 (mean = 211.0; SD = 5.51; N = 6) not significantly different between males and females (males with 205–218, mean = 212.0; SD = 5.57; N = 4; females with 204–212, mean = 208; SD = 5.66; N = 2). Anal always divided. Subcaudals in paired rows (divided) throughout the tail. Subcaudal counts 112–123 (mean = 115.60; SD = 4.23; N = 5), not significantly different between males and females (males with 112–123, mean = 116.0; SD = 6.08; N = 3; females with 114–116, mean = 115.0; SD 1.41; N = 2). Dorsal scales smooth with two apical pits and undifferentiated vertebral row. Dorsal scale counts ranging from 19 scale rows on the neck to a minimum of 11 rows just anterior to the cloaca, with reductions from 19 to 15 dorsal scale rows occurring between ventrals 94–119, and from 13 to 11 dorsal scale rows between ventrals 109–126 (see Tables 2, 3 and Figure 1 for details) .

Rostral visible from above. Prefrontals paired and only slightly wider than long; prefrontal contacts its mate, frontal, supraocular, preocular, loreal, nasal and internasal. Internasals paired ( MZUSP 1389 with both internasals divided and IBH 73141 with right internasal divided); when internasal is divided, prefrontal contacts both scales. Nasal divided, contacts supralabials 1–2. Loreal present, width and length nearly the same size and contacts nasal, preocular, and supralabials 2–3. Preocular single ( ZMB 15704 with two preoculars), 2.0 times higher than wide, and contacting supraocular, prefrontal, loreal and supralabials 3–4. Two postoculars of same size ( ZMB 15704 with three postoculars). One anterior and one posterior temporal ( ZMB 69958 with 1+2 temporals on the right side). Supraoculars 2.1 times longer than wide. Frontal pentagonal, 1.1 to 1.3 times longer than maximum width. Parietals paired, 1.6 to 1.7 times longer than wide. Eight, nine, or 10 supralabials ( ZMB 15704, MZUSP 1389 , FMNH 168003 with eight supralabials, IBH 7600 and ZMB 69958 with nine supralabials, IBH 73141 with 10 supralabials on the left side and nine on the right side), supralabials 4–5 in contact with orbit ( IBH 73141 with left supralabials 4-5- 6 in contact with orbit); 11 or 12 infralabials ( ZMB 15704 with 11 infralabials on the left side and 12 on the right side, IBH 7600 and ZMB 69958 with 12 infralabials, the remaining three specimens with 11 infralabials), infralabials 1–5 in contact with anterior genials. Posterior genials slightly longer than anterior genials .

Scale anomalies: All six specimens of Philodryas laticeps examined show a peculiarly high number of scale anomalies that include extra-numerary supralabials, infralabials, preoculars, postoculars, internasals, and highly irregular dorsal scale counts ( Figs. 1, 2, 3; Tables 2, 3). Additionally, some specimens show an intriguing combination of anomalous scales or share the same anomalies ( Table 3). All specimens present variable dorsal scale counts that vary from 19 or 17 scales on the anteriormost rows to 13 or 11 scales on the more posterior ones. However, all counts are included within 19 and 11 dorsal scale rows ( Table 3). The holotype of Philodryas oligolepis ( MZUSP 1389 , Fig. 2) shows the highest number of changes in dorsal counts whereas FMNH 168003 has the least variable counts ( Table 3). Three specimens ( IBH 7600 , ZMB 69958, and the right side of IBH 73141) share the presence of nine supralabial scales, instead of eight as in the remaining specimens ( Fig. 3). The additional scale is always small, with a triangular shape, and interposed between the sixth and the penultimate supralabials. Whether its presence resulted from the division of the sixth or the seventh supralabials is hard to define. The shape of the supernumerary scale differs significantly in the three specimens: the dorsal border of the supernumerary scale touches the postocular and first temporal in IBH 7600 and ZMB 69958 but only the first temporal in IBH 73141. Additionally, IBH 73141 shows another supernumerary supralabial scale on the left side, interposed between the fourth and fifth supralabials as a third scale bordering the eye. MZUSP 1389 and IBH 73141 share the presence of paired (divided) internasals. In IBH 73141, the right internasal is fully divided while the left internasal is only divided on its anterolateral bor- der. The remaining specimens have single internasal scales on both sides. Two specimens ( IBH 7600 , ZMB 69958) have 12 infralabials instead of 11, while ZMB 15704 retains 11 infralabials on the left side and 12 on the right side .

Coloration in life: According to Gomes (in Amaral, 1921), the live specimen (holotype of Philodryas oligolepis ) is “green above, greenish beneath; with inferior part of the head white.” The color in life described by Gomes (op. cit) and Werner (1900) can be identified also in preserved specimens. The dorsal surfaces of the head and body are nearly uniform green in all specimens. The ventral region of the head and anteriormost ventral scales are white whereas the rest of the belly is lighter green.

Hemipenial description: The following description is based on four fully everted and maximally expanded hemipenes (MZUSP 1389, IBH 73141, ZMB 69958, FMNH 168003) ( Fig. 4). Philodryas laticeps has a short hemipenial body with short but clearly bilobed lobes, Thomas’ (1976) type 2 hemipenis. The organ is semicalyculate and only slightly semicapitate. The diameter of the central portion of the hemipenis is expanded (inflated) with respect to both proximal and distal extremities, conferring an oval shape to the organ. The sulcus spermaticus divides at the base of the calyculate area, and the branches terminate centrolineally on the portion of the sulcate surface of the lobes, but not at their tip. Both capitulae are formed from papillate calyces and are totally confluent in the intrasulcar region, forming an uninterrupted calyculate area mostly restricted to the sulcate side of the organ. The calyces invade only marginally the distal and lateral borders of the asulcate side of the lobes. Most of the asulcate surface as well as the medial surface of the lobes and the short lobular crotch are ornamented with medium-sized body calyces that extend onto the distal one-third of the asulcate surface of the hemipenial body. Unlike all other species of Philodryas , large and shallow body calyces are absent on the asulcate surface of the hemipenis. Body calyces gradually grow in size from the tip of the lobes towards the distal one-third of the hemipenial body, resulting in medium-sized body calyces that are significantly smaller than the same structures present in the other species of Philodryas . Both capitula and body calyces are restricted to the distal one-third of the hemipenis, being bordered proximally by uniform rows of medium sized spines that cover the rest of the hemipenial body. Spines are larger around the borders of the capitula and along the sulcus spermaticus, decreasing gradually in size towards the proximal end of the hemipenis where they are replaced by spinules. Spinules cover most of the proximal half or third of the hemipenial body. The most distal rows of spines that border the body calyces on the asulcate surface are disposed in a typical “V-shaped” configuration.

Distribution: Two apparently disjunct populations restricted to the tropical rainforest of central Bolivia in the Departments of Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, and the Atlantic rainforest of Southern and Southeastern Brazil in the States of Santa Catarina, Espírito Santo, and Minas Gerais ( Fig. 5).